The Olive Branch Sukkot 2017€¦ · Feast of Ingathering The ﬁrst mention of Sukkot is in Exodus 23 and 34, where it is called the Feast of Ingathering (at the end of the year)

The Olive Branch Sukkot 2017

2017.10.07

Feasts of the Lord

Spring FallFeast of Unleavened Bread

(Chag HaMatzot) Day of Trumpets

(Yom Teruah)Day of Firstfruits (Yom HaBikkurim)

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Feast of Weeks/Pentecost

(Chag Shavuot)Feast of Tabernacles

(Chag Sukkot)

Feasts of The LORD

One of the things I love about the Feasts of the LORD is they focus us on the LORD and his Messiah. Every thing that is of the LORD will always Glorify the Father.

This is in stark contrast to the Traditional Holidays which are materialistic and all about us.

Feasts of The LORD

Passover and The Feast of Unleavened Bread point us directly at Messiah who became our sacrifice and whose body did not see corruption in the grave.

Understanding Passover made Yeshua’s sacrifice on the cross so much more real and meaningful.

Feasts of The LORD

Firstfruits is about Messiah being the Firstfruits of the Resurrection and gives us the promise of our future resurrection.

Understanding Firstfruits made it clear that he is our source and sustainer, and that we are to give the Firstfruits of all our increase (that he gives to us) back to the Father.

Feasts of The LORDShavuot is when we received the Torah and when Messiah sent the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel.

The Law and the Spirit were given on the same Day! What an incredible coincidence….

Understanding Shavuot leads you to understand the unity of the Law and the Spirit, that there is one Bible, one faith, one way to the Father.

Feasts of The LORD

Yom Teruah is all about the 2nd Coming of the Messiah at the Last Trump!

Every year at Yom Teruah we have to ask, “Is this the year of his return?” It gives tremendous expectation and focus on his coming.

Feasts of The LORD

The Day of Atonement is all about God’s Holiness and the forgiveness of our sins that he freely gives us by his grace.

Understanding the Day of Atonement makes us search our heart and confront sin in our lives, to strive for holiness in all areas of our life.

Feasts of The LORD

Everyone of these Mo’edim is all about what God has done for us. They all draw us closer to him.

It’s all about him, not about us. That’s the lesson I want my children to learn.

Feasts of The LORDWhat about Sukkot?

Is it all about him, or is it all about us?

It is just about living in a Sukka for a week, feasting, and fellowshipping with other Christians?

I am concerned Sukkot in the US is transforming more toward a traditional Holiday, much like Hanukkah has become Jewish Christmas.

Feasts of The LORD

For some reason, Sukkot in the US is all about going camping. This is a uniquely US experience.

I’ve never really liked going camping, so Sukkot has been a bit hollow for me.

It has left me feeling - there must be more!

Feasts of The LORD

Let’s search the scriptures to see what Sukkot really is about. As we do several themes are going to develop.

Exodus 23:14-1714 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

Exodus 34:21-23

21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. 22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. 23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.

Feast of IngatheringThe first mention of Sukkot is in Exodus 23 and 34, where it is called the Feast of Ingathering (at the end of the year).

It is called the “end of the year” even though it is not. It gives a sense of “finality” to Sukkot.

The concept of Ingathering is immediately recognizable as the “catching away” of the Saints that occurs at the “end of the age.”

Sukkot Themes

Final Ingathering

End of the year (age)

Leviticus 23:39-43

39Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

Key Points about Sukkot“…fifteenth day of the seventh month…”

Exactly two weeks after the new moon is sighted on Yom Teruah, which means Sukkot is always on a Full Moon, which was good for Harvest Time.

Key Points about Sukkot

“…fifteenth day of the seventh month…”

The seventh month is the Sabbath Month. Shabbat is the end of the week, which is why they call the seventh month the end of the year.


“…fifteenth day of the seventh month…”

What happened on the seventh day of creation? God rested, everything was finished.

What happens after the 7th Millenia? It’s all over, God pushes the reset button.

Again, the theme of finality.


“…gathered in the fruit of the land…”

This is the Fall Harvest - the grape harvest, the final harvest of the year.

Again, the theme of the “Final Ingathering” of the saints.


“…a feast unto the LORD…”

This is not a Jewish Feast or a Christian Feast. It is a Feast unto Yehovah!

The Feast (את־חג־יהוה) is one of the three Pilgrimage Feasts .

Key Points about Sukkot“on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath”

This is a poor translation (KJV).

The Hebrew is not Shabbat, but Shabbaton (שבתון). It means a day of solemn rest, but it is lower in status to the weekly Sabbath.

Leviticus 23:39-4340 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Key Points About Sukkot“… boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook…”

These are the four species of plants

etrog (אתרוג): a citron

lulav (לולב): the frond of a date palm tree

haddas (הדס): myrtle boughs

aravah (ערבה): branches from a willow tree

Key Points About Sukkot“… ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days…”

Sukkot is seven days long, just like the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the Spring

“…It shall be a statute for ever in your generations…”

How long is forever????

How Long is Forever?

Did you know during the reign of the Messiah in the Millennial Kingdom, that the only Feast mentioned is the Feast of Sukkot!!

This is recorded in the Book of Zechariah.

Zechariah 14:2-42 For yI will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle,… 3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south…

Zechariah 14:16-1716 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

Zechariah 14:18-19

18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19

This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

Sukkot Themes

Deals with Nations or Gathering of Nations

Leviticus 23:39-43

42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Key Points About Sukkot

“…Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths…”

Booths (sukkot סכת) are temporarily dwelling places. It reminds us we are sojourners in this land.

Key Points About Sukkot“…when I brought them out of the land of Egypt…”

Because Sukkot is a reminder of coming out of Egypt, it is tied to the First Commandment

Exodus 20:2 - I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Numbers 29:12-3812 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days. 13 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish;


“…And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering…”

burnt offering is עלה אשה olah isheh, literally a fire offering.

This is not a sin offering, it is a “near” offering, an offering to approach the LORD.

Numbers 29:12-38

14 and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15 and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; 16 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.


“…also one male goat for a sin offering…”

sin offering is חטאת chatta’t

This is the sin offering made after the olah to approach the LORD.

Numbers 29:12-3817 “On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 18 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 19 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

Numbers 29:12-38

20 “On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 21 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 22 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

Numbers 29:12-38

23 “On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 24 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 25 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

Numbers 29:12-38

26 “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 27 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 28 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

Numbers 29:12-38

29 “On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 30 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 31 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.

Numbers 29:12-38

32 “On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 33 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 34 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

Numbers 29:12-38

35 “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work, 36 but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish,

Numbers 29:12-38

37 and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 38 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

Keeping ScoreDay Bulls Rams Lambs Goat

1 13 2 14 12 12 2 14 1

3 11 2 14 1

4 10 2 14 1

5 9 2 14 1

6 8 2 14 1

7 7 2 14 1

Sum 70 14 98 7

Keeping ScoreThere were more animals sacrificed during Sukkot than all the other Feasts combined!

The Bull was the most expensive of all the animals to sacrifice. Because it was an olah, it was all burned up on the altar and they didn’t eat the meat.

Why such a great expense, and why 70 bulls?

Feast of NationsGenesis 10:32 These [are] the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

Deuteronomy 32:8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

Feast of Nations

Exodus 1:5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already].

Feast of Nations

These scriptures are where we get the concept of the 70 nations of the world.

Sukkot is a time when Israel brought the nations of the world to remembrance before Yehovah (olah ishesh) and made atonement for their sins (chatta’t). Why Israel?

Exodus 19:5-6

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Feast of Nations

Israel was to make atonement on behalf of the nations AFTER they had received forgiveness at Yom Kippur.

We as Spiritual Israel are to use this time to make intercession on behalf of the nations of the world.

Revelation 14:14-1914 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Revelation 14:14-19

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.”

Revelation 14:14-19

19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

Feast of Nations

There will be one final Feast for the Nations of the World at the time of the grape harvest, only this time it is a Feast for the birds and animals on those who are opposed to his Kingdom.

We as laborers in Yehovah’s vineyards are to be working the harvest BEFORE the Final Ingathering. What we do not harvest, the angels will.

Feast of Nations

Question - Is this a time to be gathering ourselves out of the Nations to fellowship amongst ourselves, or is this a time we should be gathering in the Nations?

Feast of Nations

Question - What would happen if we changed our mindset from going camping to a mindset of intercession for and evangelistic outreach to the nations? What would happen if in every nation of the world where Yehovah has scattered his people this was a time of outreach to those nations?

Feast of Nations

Question - At we approach the end of this age, should we remain with the nations to be working the harvest, or should we remove ourselves from the nations and wait for the angels to finish them off?

Feast of Nations

What was the promise of the Abrahamic Covenant?

Genesis 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Feast of Nations

We are to be a light to the world and bring them into the promise.

How does that happen if we remove ourselves from the nations?

Feast of Dedication

In 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5-7 Solomon has finished the construction of the Temple and it is dedicated to the LORD. This happens during Sukkot.

2 Chronicles 5:3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which [was] in the seventh month.

1 King 8:41-4341 Moreover concerning a stranger, that [is] not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; 42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; 43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as [do] thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

Isaiah 56:7

7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Feast of Dedication

Again we see the theme of inclusion of all nations, of all nations being gathered to him at his house in Jerusalem.

Dwelling Place

A final theme of Sukkot is God dwelling with men. The LORD did not create mankind to have it separated from him. The intent was always for the LORD to dwell among his people.

This starts in the Garden of Eden in Genesis and concludes in Revelation.

Dwelling Place

Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone…

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…

Exodus 25:1-2, 8-9

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering:. ... 8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I shew thee, [after] the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make [it].

2 Samuel 7:5,13

5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? ... 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

Zechariah 2:10-11

10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. 11 And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

John 1:14

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Dwelling Place

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

1 John 4:12-16

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world.

1 John 4:12-16

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Revelation 21:1-4

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:1-43 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Summary

The Feasts of the Lord are about the Mystery of God dwelling with men. Sukkot represents the conclusion of this mystery.

It begins with God dwelling with man in the Garden of Eden, and the separation resulting from the Fall.

Summary

The process of restoration began with the separation of Israel to be the agents through which God would gather the nations back to him.

It continues through God having Israel building him a Tabernacle to so he may be dwell among his people.

Summary

David/Solomon built him a house for his name to dwell in, a house of prayer for all nations, for all those that choose to be gathered to him.

God announces his plan through the Prophets for his son to dwell among us. This happens with the birth of Yeshua on Sukkot.

Summary

Yeshua establishes the Kingdom of Heaven. We as citizens of that Kingdom function as priests, laborers in his vineyard, to be the agents through which he gathers the nations of the world back to him.

Summary

Yeshua sends The Comforter, the very Spirit of God, to dwell in us, showing us the way to be gathered back to him, empowering us to lead others into the Kingdom.

At the close of this age, the reset button is pressed, we have a new Heaven and Earth, and God once again dwells with men.

The ChallengeLet this Sukkot be different than all others!

Intercede on behalf of the nations!

Be a laborer in his vineyard gathering his own back to him.

Focus on being the dwelling place of the LORD, and abiding in his presence

Documents

The Olive Branch Sukkot 2017€¦ · Feast of Ingathering The ﬁrst mention of Sukkot is in Exodus 23 and 34, where it is called the Feast of Ingathering (at the end of the year)